Flux Density Stability and Temporal Changes in the Spectra of Millisecond Pulsars using the GMRT

TL;DR

This study analyzes the spectral properties and temporal variations of 10 millisecond pulsars observed with the uGMRT, revealing significant spectral evolution, turnover frequency changes, and insights into emission and interstellar medium characteristics.

Contribution

First systematic investigation of temporal spectral changes and turnover frequency variations in millisecond pulsars using uGMRT data.

Findings

Spectral indices range from ~0 to -4.8 across MSPs.

Detected significant temporal evolution in in-band spectra.

Observed variations in turnover frequency over time.

Abstract

This paper presents an investigation of spectral properties of 10 millisecond pulsars (MSPs) discovered by the uGMRT, observed from 2017-2023 using band 3 (300-500 MHz) and 4 (550-750 MHz) of uGMRT. For these MSPs, we have reported a range of spectral indices from ~0 to -4.8, while averaging the full observing band and all the observing epochs. For every MSP, we calculated the mean flux densities across 7-8 sub-bands each with approximately 25 MHz bandwidth spanning band 3 and band 4. We computed their modulation indices as well as average and maximum-to-median flux densities within each subband. Using a temporal variation of flux density we calculated the refractive scintillation time scales and estimated structure function with time lag for 8 MSPs in the sample. We note a significant temporal evolution of the in-band spectra, classified into three categories based on the nature of the best-fit power-law spectra, having single positive spectral indices, multiple broken power law, and single negative spectral indices. Additionally, indications of low-frequency turnover and a temporal variation of the turnover frequency (to the extent that turnover was observed for some of the epochs while not seen for the rest) were noted for all the MSPs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic investigation probing temporal changes in the MSP spectra as well as in turnover frequency. Future exploration with dense monitoring combined with modeling of spectra can provide vital insight into the intrinsic emission properties of the MSPs and ISM properties.